Jimi Hendrix Biopic to Focus on Beatles and Blues Cover Songs

Producers of the upcoming Jimi Hendrix biopic say they never planned on using original songs from the guitarist, because the movie will be set before hits like ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ were released. ‘All Is By My Side,’ starring Andre Benjamiin (aka Andre 3000 of the hip-hop group Outkast) may be ready for the 2013 Sundance Festival.

Rolling Stone reports that the film and soundtrack will feature Benjamin, as Hendrix, singing songs by the Beatles (‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonley Hearts Club Band’), Muddy Waters (‘Mannish Boy’) and more. Hendrix famously covered these songs during his time in London. ‘All Is By My Side’ is set in 1966 and 1967 London.

“This is the story of Jimi being discovered as a backup musician and how he went to London and became Jimi Hendrix,” producer Sean McKittrick tells Rolling Stone. Previously, Chickenfoot drummer Kenny Aronoff talked about being cast as a drummer during scenes Hendrix when jams with bands like Cream.

“I had to be Ginger Baker,” Aronoff said. “Because remember, Jimi is sitting in with Cream and these guys are trying to keep up with him, because these guys are like ‘who the f–k are you?’ So you’ve got to have an attitude like ‘hey, little f–ker from the USA, I can keep up with you.’

Hendrix’s estate has to give permission to any film that uses songs written by the guitarist. They had not done so for ‘All Is By My Side’ and seem peeved that producers of the film are working around them.

“They want to make a Jimi Hendrix movie without Jimi Hendrix music,” an estate representative tells Rolling Stone. “It would be like making a movie about Lincoln without being able to use the Gettysburg Address.”

While many of Hendrix’s best known songs were written by the guitarist, some — like ‘All Along the Watchtower’ (Bob Dylan) and ‘Hey Joe’ (Billy Roberts) — were not. Hendrix died in September 1970. Much of his music was released posthumously.